VICTOR MORRIS, councillor of ward 11
in the Matjhabeng Local Municipality, has strongly refuted reports of non-provision of basic services to residents to be integrated into the residential area of Extension 15.
Last week Express Goldfields andamp; NFS published a report (“No respite after move” on Wednesday, 19 August) indicating the various challenges residents were facing following relocation to Extension 15 from a squatter camp called Rethuseng near Bronville.
These were, among others, crime and the non-provision of essential services like water and electricity to the new area integrated within Extension 15, mostly consisting of shack dwellings within the Matjhabeng Local Municipality.
Morris, representative councillor of the ANC, said essential services that included water and electricity had been provided to approved residential sites following verification by the Department of Human Settlement.
“Three communal taps for drinking water have been installed. We are busy with the process of allocating sites to people who qualify.
These people have been squatting illegally in an area earmarked for the building of a school since 2008. I have been constantly engaging people who have been squatting about the process of formalising the area they have relocated to in Extension 15,” said Morris.
He said about 160 people were on the waiting list, adding that not all were guaranteed sites.
“Only those who qualify, legal South Africans, will be prioritised.”
He pointed out that those that did not qualify were likely squatting illegally at unsuitable places, to give the impression that nothing was being done.
Some residents have already built shack dwellings close to one unsuitable area surrounded by some trees of which some have only been partly felled.
The general concern of the residents regarding unsuitable areas is that they are crime hotspots.
Morris conceded that crime was a challenge, and said a solution would come with the installation of high-mast lights approved by the Matjhabeng Municipality.
Morris said since taking over as councillor of ward 11, major strides had been made.
“Paved roads have been constructed, the Bronville Stadium was renovated and a taxi rank was built through my work as councillor.”
Tshepo Davids, ANC branch chairperson, said some of the residents were also involved in crime through the illegal connection of electricity cables.
“Why are they not saying anything about the good work done, but only the bad? We pretended not to see their illegal connection of power,” said Davids
